We didn't have to wait long before my mum gave us our jobs. She briefed us in the car as if it was crucial. Basically, Savy and I had the grand task of playing with the pups and keeping them out of the way so that the adults could talk.
It wasn't even that Mum was entrusting babysitting to us. Mrs. Beta had already prepared some activities and games for the bigger kids. We just needed to assist her and babysit the much younger pups.
That wasn't too bad. It was tiring. Pups had a lot of energy. But it wasn't depressing.
And I was good at playing. I've been playing all my life.
Savy looked relieved too.
We arrived at the destitute house very quickly. This was mostly because Gamma Harry drove like a speed maniac. This was his usual driving style. Normally, Beta Lucas would drive us, but due to overwhelming participation today, we needed a second car.
When we were out of the car, I resisted the urge to kiss the solid ground beneath my feet.
I saw Alpha James' driver and guard get out of the car first. The driver opened the car door, and the guard stood at attention immediately just behind the Luna.
Beta Lucas' car stopped, and the ladies spilled out, their dresses falling gracefully around their legs. I realized Savy and I were not the only ones who dressed up for the Lorents.
I guessed the occasion did call for it. I marveled at how we ended up in the correct dress code. Either we were very lucky, or Esther had told the other ladies what Savy and I were wearing. Such was the power of mindlinks among adult wolves. Gossip, I mean, detailed information was very quickly spread among pack wolves.
Esther had been wearing an apron earlier in the kitchen, so I hadn't noticed what she wore under it, but I was quite sure it wasn't that fawn-colored maxi skirt. She wore a matching peasant blouse, a cream knitted vest, and had braided her hair like Elsa in the Frozen movie. Don't ask me what kind of wolf power that was, but tada! Our ladies all looked like they stepped out of some kind of countryside painting.
Actually, our ladies should all dress like this every day. When they stood together like that, they really looked lovely. It made me think of a bouquet of wildflowers.
The matron of the destitute home came out to greet us while the ladies and older kids from the home helped us unload the packed lunches and distribute them. There were picnic mats and a few picnic tables on the large lawn.
I was surprised to see Shannon there. I knew he sometimes came back here with his mum to visit, but it was the first time our visiting day coincided. He opened his mouth, and I thought he was about to call out to me, but then he saw the adults around me and decided against it.
Instead, he pretended not to know me.
Seriously?
Oh well, I shrugged it off and then decided to pretend not to know him either. So there!
Meanwhile, Mum and Dad had exchanged greetings with the matron, who was currently praising Savy and me to the adults—something about our outward beauty being a reflection of the beauty in our hearts.
The matron liked to praise Savy and me profusely. I didn't take it to heart because Shannon told me that she only talked like this in front of important people. When the Alpha family wasn't around, she would refer to Shannon and the other kids as vermin.
At first, I thought maybe she was joking—a strange choice of endearment? But there was this time we played with their kids, and I heard her scolding a couple of them when she thought they were alone.
I was really upset, but Dad said that as long as her balance sheets were clean and the home was safe and up to standard, he couldn't fire her for scolding a couple of kids who had snuck out of the house at night.
My mum did try to talk to her a bit about how good it was that she spoke so kindly. This only made her speak more kindly of us to my parents. I don't think it helped the kids who actually lived here.
Adult things were complicated like that. I had told Shannon to tell me if she ever hit them, but she never did.
Apparently, you can't fire someone for just being two-faced. The person had to also commit some kind of legitimate infringement. And even then, she would only receive a warning in writing for the first three times.
It was called job security, and it was important to adults.
Oh well. If the kids here were vermin, I guess I was too.
Anyway, Savy and I only had to bear with the small talk and pleasantries over a quick meal. It wasn't difficult. Neither of us were expected to talk. We ate quietly and then excused ourselves prettily to help Mrs. Beta set up for the games.
Mrs. Beta had chosen an empty space nestled by the woods. The kids trickled over to join us when they had finished their meal. We seated them in a large circle. Mrs. Beta handed out sticker name tags. I blew up two large beach balls for the game we would soon play.
A little girl came. Mrs. Beta stuck the name Brenda on her. She was very small and couldn't talk yet. I was assigned to help watch her.
For some reason, Brenda took to me immediately. She sat on my lap and stroked my cheek repeatedly. It was a little strange, but Mrs. Beta laughed. "I'm glad she likes you, Sam."
Savy had to deal with a few other little boys. She managed to start a small ball game with them. They chased the ball about. One of the boys was smaller than the others. His name tag read "Chris." He gave up chasing after a while and ambled over to me and Brenda. I taught them to pick up small sticks from the ground and count them.
Well, mostly I counted. They just picked up sticks and brought them over to me.
When Mrs. Beta began the game, Savy came to help me with Brenda and Chris so I could go yell on Mrs. Beta's behalf.
Yeah, I've been yelling and bossing pups since I was a pup myself, so I was pretty good at it. In no time at all, we were having a spirited game of dog and bone. Seeing that the kids were taking my lead, and Savy was caring well for Brenda and Chris and the assortment of sticks, Mrs. Beta waved to me and pointed to the adults at the table.
I think she meant to slip away quietly to join the adults, but I just yelled, "Everyone say thank you to Mrs. Beta for the candy!"
I pulled out a bag of jelly beans that Mrs. Beta had brought and shook it to indicate the upcoming reward.
The kids yelled, "Thank you, Mrs. Beta!"
The adults at the picnic area all craned their heads over to look.
"Louder! The jelly beans can't hear you!" I waved the jelly beans wildly above my head.
"THANK YOU, MRS. BETA!!!"
Mrs. Beta smiled and waved good-naturedly, but her face was flushed red.
I opened the bag of candy and was immediately swarmed by kids.
"LINE UP!" I shouted. They ignored me, so I didn't give out any.
I stuffed some in my mouth. "So yummy," I informed the kids.
They watched in dismay as more jelly beans disappeared into my mouth.
"Sit!" I commanded.
They sat. I gave two beans to each seated kid.
"Why are we calling Teacher Willow Mrs. Beta?" one of the girls asked me.
Oh. Oops.
I gave her an extra jelly bean. "Don't question me."
There were only a few more beans left. I scanned the treeline for Savy and the two kids. I didn't see them. Why?
And then I smelled it the moment I heard a muffled scream. Rogues!
I reacted purely by instinct.
"Last one back to the picnic table is a rotten egg!" I screamed at the kids.
There was screaming everywhere as kids sped off to the safety of the adults. They were laughing and squealing like it was the end of the world. The adults looked bewildered at our direction.
I saw my dad's expression suddenly change and knew he must have sensed the rogues—but too late. I don't think anyone had expected this attack—we were quite close to the Morning Light Packhouse. I mean, I know this was Morning Light, not back home at Night Leaf, but open attacks like these were stories from before I was born. Not now.
But if these were like the stories from before I was born, I couldn't afford to wait even a second for Dad to run across the field to us.
Savy and the two little ones were already nowhere in sight. I dashed past the treeline, letting my lucky sense of direction lead me.
I tackled the first large figure I saw from behind. He was pretty huge, so I gave it my all, hurtling into the back of his knee so that he would be knocked down. It turned out he was carrying Savy, and they both fell to the ground.
The other two rogues turned around. They were in human form, grasping tightly onto the two kids. Chris was bellowing and kicking with all his might. Brenda was silent, her expression frozen as if she had done this before.
Oh, poor Brenda.
Then more rogues appeared, this time in their wolf forms.
I tried to pull Savy out as the big rogue pushed himself up. We almost made it until he turned to grab at us.
Shannon suddenly shot through the undergrowth. He picked up a fallen branch and hit a home run into the big rogue's face. I heard the sound of wood and something else I didn't want to identify. I pulled more desperately at Savy, but the rogue had fallen back half over her.
At least he was out like a light.
"Sam, behind you!" Savy gasped.